


Cold War

by el_gilliath



Series: The Cowboy Vigilante [3]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex being a BAMF as always, Angst, F/F, Flirting, M/M, Michael gets hurt, Multi, Pre-Slash, Russian mob dudes, Vigilante AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-07 20:53:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20982203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/el_gilliath/pseuds/el_gilliath
Summary: Cowboy continues to baffle Alex as often as he can. He runs around grinning, never once taking the shit perps throw at him. He laughs, he hollers, he fricking whoops. Alex feels tired just looking at him.





	Cold War

**Author's Note:**

> Still dedicated to @lsobelevans, my partner in vigilante crime, who makes me [gisets](https://lsobelevans.tumblr.com/post/188264302732/im-not-just-one-of-your-many-toys-influence) (!!!!!) who listens to me whine about Kyle who was NOT supposed to be part of this yet, and who encourages me every day to write more of this.
> 
> This part will have a direct follow up, so it ends… abruptly. Because KYLE.

Cowboy continues to baffle Alex as often as he can. He runs around grinning, never once taking the shit perps throw at him. He laughs, he hollers, he fricking whoops. Alex feels tired just looking at him.

Arturo has, of course, noticed the connection between Alex and Cowboy and sends Alex out whenever there’s rumours or talks of him abound. Usually followed by Rosa, Arturo’s daughter and photographer extraordinaire for the Times, who laughs at him whenever he grumbles about it. Probably because she knows how much Alex enjoys writing about Supers, and Cowboy in particular, even if he pretends not too. The fact that she also has a good eye to one icy blonde Super helps. And Influence, who gave herself the name because no other would do according to the note he found one morning on his desk, is just as smitten in return if the way she throws her hair around when Rosa and her camera is around is any indication.

The point is, that by now the vigilante’s of New York, be they Supers or not, know that when Alex Manes arrives you best be on your finest behavior. And if Rosa is with him, well then you better pray your uniform looks good or she will take a picture of it to fuck with you.

It’s also widely known if you’re a vigilante hanging out at the Wild Pony and you don’t want your identity to be known, you scamper when Maria rings the Alex bell. Lovingly referred to as such because Maria rings it when Alex calls her and tells her he’s on his way over. Having Maria as a best friend since childhood gives him an in he didn’t expect, and though he doesn’t quite know why Maria’s bar got to be the vigilante hang out, he certainly doesn’t mind. As long as he adheres to her rules that keep vigilante safe, he’s more than welcome.

The fact that people have started leaving him messages there and not break into his office is also a good thing. Though Cowboy still does whenever he’s bored. Which is pretty much always.

But that doesn’t mean he’s surprised when he walks into the Pony and Influence is right there at the bar. Only she’s not in costume, but he would recognize that hair everywhere.

“Holy shit, I should’ve known it was you.”

Influence smiles, a smile of all teeth he has only seen in the courtroom before. “Why yes, Mr. Manes, you should have.”

He doesn’t know why Isobel Evans has decided to reveal herself to him, but he wouldn’t be surprised if Rosa has a tiny bit to do with it. But no way is that all.

“So, Defence Attorney Isobel Evans is a Super. And not just a Super, but a vigilante that influences people into doing what she wants. Much like you do in everyday life during court.”

“Yes,” Isobel answers. “But in court I do it by being an extremely good lawyer. I don’t need my powers in there, Manes, I just need my god given intelligence and carefully curated female charm.”

Alex huffs. He’s seen Isobel in court, she’s earned her right to be cocky. “So why are you here now? Why prove without a shadow of a doubt that you are Influence? Especially to someone who reports daily on vigilantes.”

Isobel sighs. “Cowboy is in trouble”

Alex will deny to his dying day the timble his heart takes when he hears those words. “Cowboy is always in trouble, he’s too much of a little shit not to be.”

“While this is completely true, this is a bit different.”

“Different, how?”

“Your dad is involved,” Isobel says, looking him straight in the eye. He notices both Maria and Rosa looking at him, but he can’t think. He doesn’t want his dad anywhere near Cowboy. 

“What did he do?”

Isobel turns to Maria for a second, and Maria catches her eyes with a soft smile and a firm nod. Oh. _Oh._ That explains so much about how Maria always seems to just _know_ things, even though he knew Maria had a long lost sister, a Super she couldn’t tell him about. He just never expected it to be Influence. He turns to Rosa to see what she thinks, but Rosa just looks at Maria, intrigued and very interested. Oh wow. Okay then. 

“Isobel. My dad. What’s going on?” He asks. Mostly to distract himself from the three women and what that might become, but also because. Cowboy. 

“Do you know just how much of a bad man your father is?”

He doesn’t answer, just raises a brow in a clear indication of ‘what do you think.’ Thankfully Isobel accepts it at face value. 

“Cowboy found some intel about a russian mob moving stolen diamonds and decided to go after them on his lonesome. That might have been fine, if your dad wasn’t already involved.” 

“My dad is involved with anything that can give him money, or power. You know that. Cowboy should know that.”

“We do.” Isobel sighs. “But Cowboy overestimated, and now he’s trapped.”

And Alex suddenly understands why he’s there. “You need me to use my father’s connections to get an in with the Russians.”

“Yes.”

He closes his eyes. Remembers another time he used his father’s connections. Remembers what he lost that day. 

“What you’re asking…”

“I know.” He opens his eyes to find Isobel looking at him with sympathy, Maria too. Rosa clasps her hand on his shoulder. They all know, how could they not. “I wouldn’t ask if there was any other way.”

Alex knows she wouldn’t. The reason she’s here unmasked is abundantly clear to him now, she’s making herself vulnerable. To make up for asking him to be vulnerable. To make up for asking him to put himself in a situation he never wanted to be again. 

“I need an hour.”

The way Isobel’s mask slips for a minute tells him everything he needs to know; she loves Cowboy. There’s a relationship there, one he doesn’t know what is yet. But whatever it is, it’s important to them.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he cautions. “Thank me when I can actually get him out.”

“I’ll get you whatever you need.”

“No need. But if I call you and need a lawyer, you better do it pro bono. Cause I can’t afford you otherwise.”

Isobe grins, another one of her smiles that are all teeth. “It would be my honor, Mr. Manes.”

Alex takes a deep breath. And another one. And another one. Before he turns to Maria. 

“You still have my rig?”

“In the back, like always.”

He moves like a man on a mission, which he supposes he is, ignoring Isobel’s questions about what a rig is and Maria’s softly spoken answer. It’s only as he lets himself into the small back room hidden in Maria’s storage area that he completely exhales. And smiles.

The computer setup he has hidden at the Pony is still his pride and joy, still the one thing he misses most in his day to day life. His fingers itch with the need to hack, itches with a longing that he feels deep in his bones every day. He wants to flex his fingers, he wants to hack into the Pentagon just to prove that he can, he wants to show his father that he can topple him from the inside.

He looks down at his leg, remembers what he lost the last time he was itching to prove something to his father. He wanted to truly show his father that he was no longer his son, and that even though he would act like it in public, he was determined to take him down.

Instead he lost his leg, he lost his brothers, he lost his best friend. He survived losing his brothers, they were always standing in his father’s shadow anyway. He survived losing his leg too, the prosthetic he wears gives him almost as much range of motion now, two years later, and he doesn’t completely hate it.

But Kyle. He will never get over Kyle believing his father over him. He will never forgive him, even if losing him felt worse than realizing his father hated him for something he couldn’t control.

He shakes his head slightly, he’s not here for a pity party. He’s here to do something he swore he would never do again after last time. But he’ll do it for Cowboy. And he knows exactly what he needs. 

Project Shepherd is his dad’s most hidden project, his dad’s pride and joy. Created to target Super’s, with it he can topple every vigilante off of their ‘throne’, and make them pay for showing him up. To bad he’s using bad men to fund it. 

Alex knows he doesn’t have time to find everything but he doesn’t have too. He just needs the info on the Russian mob hidden in those files. And then he can go get Cowboy. And tear him a new one for being so stupid. He doesn’t know how Cowboy got whatever information he’s working with, but it’s not the best and now he’s in danger. The stupid idiot.

He gives the rig one last look over before he sits down, shaking off old memories as he does. Maria’s been taking good care of it, as she promised to do, and when he turns on the computer it responds like it always does; quickly and perfectly. The way he remembers.

He smiles as the computer boots, he smiles wider as he logs in and sets the security, he grins as he starts the hack. It’s easy, it’s familiar, it’s _home_ in a way many things in his life isn’t these days. But he leaves that all behind, he doesn’t have time for the feelings of _right_ that settles in his spine as he wades through the information on his father’s server. Though, really, he has a hacker son that got a lot of information the last time he got in. Why the hell the Chief hasn’t updated the security he will never understand. Even though he probably didn’t expect Alex to ever do this again. After last time.

But it does make it easier for him to get through, to subvert the passwords and flimsy security measures on the files to find exactly what he needs. He gets lost in it, the world of code, the strings of zeros and ones. Until he finds it.

When he pulls back from his fugue and shuts down the rig he looks at the clock. 58 minutes. Right on time.

He gives his setup one last fond look, before he shuts the door and walks back into the bar. Isobel is on a barstool fidgeting, with Maria glancing over at her as she deals with other customers. Rosa is next to Isobel, softly talking in what seems to be a distracting effort. It’s not working, as Isobel’s head pops up the minute he gets back, but the squeeze she gives Rosa’s hand still says something.

“Did you-?”

“Yeah,” he answers. “I found what I need.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.” He can see Isobel’s nostrils flare in irritation and the beginning of anger. “Influence is.”

Isobel narrows her eyes slightly. “Why?”

“I need more than the name of Manes to get me in the door, I need a Super.”

The narrowing of her eyes turns into a slow grin. “Meet me out back.”

Alex inclines his head at her as she walks out of the bar. He looks over at Rosa, but she already know, and nods as she moves closer to where Maria is, who smiles reassuringly at Alex. He smiles back before he turns to walk out after Isobel.

“Alex?” He stops. “Influence will take care of you. Don’t be afraid.”

He nods in Maria’s direction as he walks out.

He’s not expecting Influence to already be standing in full attire besides his car. The white, skin tight costume is paired with white boots today, the black accents gleaming in the light.

“A cape?” He asks, referring to the long, white leather cape attached to Influence’s shoulders.

“What? You told me it would look good.”

“That I did.” He grins. “It looks amazing.””

Influence grins back at him as she gestures to the car. He unlocks it, and gets in on the drivers side. She’s impatient, but he understands. He still has much to learn about Cowboy, and Influence. He knows Isobel Evans from the court cases he’s reported on. He doesn’t know the Super.

He also knows that they don’t have time to learn things now but he knows he wants to eventually. Both as a Super and whoever she is to Cowboy. And Maria. And Rosa.

“What do you need from me?” He also likes how direct an on point she is.

“Influence them. Get me in the door, then you can find Cowboy and get him out. I’ll handle the rest.”

“You want me to leave you there?!?”

“You’re not leaving me. You’re doing what I need you to do. I’ll get myself out.”

“Alex-”

“Don’t worry.” He grips the wheel tighter. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”

He can feel Isobel disapprove, but he doesn’t care. He came there for Cowboy, and Cowboy will be getting out. He has his own exit strategy.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence. He knows exactly where the Russian compound is, which building Cowboy would’ve been stupid enough to break into. The diamond storage is a nickname in the underground, but it’s also exactly what it is. While there might not be all that many stones there, all the information is there. And he has exactly what he needs to get out, provided Influence can get him in.

“We’re here,” he says as they arrive at the storage building the Russians guard with their life if they have to. He parks outside and gets out, already aware of the twelve pairs of eyes following them.

“Showtime,” he murmurs to Influence as she joins him, and walks forward as if he owns the place. And in a way he does, he is a Manes after all.

But no one stops them, and as he looks over to Isobel he can understand why. Her eyes are closed, even as she’s walking forward as if her eyes were open. The guards fall into place, they move aside, they open the door for him as he walks up to it. The commotion inside quiets as he walks in, Influence on his heel. He’s seen her work before. But this, is impressive. It’s even more impressive as she opens her eyes and still people stay where they are.

“What. Is the meaning of this.”

The burliest Russian Alex has ever seen gets up from the table set in the outer part of the building. He gives a subtle nod to Influence who gives him one last long look before she moves off, almost as if no one can see her. As if they’ve forgotten she’s there.

“Mr. Serkoff, I presume. My name is Alex Manes.” He’s delighted to see that everyone freezes when they hear the last name. “I’m here to collect for my father.”

“The drop-off is tomorrow.”

“No. The collect is now. Nasty business with the senator last week, Mr Serkoff, the collect needs to happen now.” Finding the senator that had been accepting donations from the Russian mob was the golden goose. Having his father’s name is the egg. “I was sent her by my father to get the stones. Do you really want to make him wait?”

“I will need to call and check.”

“Okay.” He waits until the phone is up off of Mr. Serkoff’s pocket and he’s started to dial. “If you want to disturb him this late, that’s on you.”

He doesn’t have to wait long after that for the diamonds to be delivered to him. A pouch of eight, perfect diamonds with the serial number taken off. He dreads what his father needs this for.

“Thank you, Mr. Serkoff. I’ll tell my father you co-operated, gracefully,” he says, nodding as the Russian as he turns and begins to walk out.  
“Wait.”

He stops. Remembers the last time. Shakes his head minutely and pushes it from his mind. “Yes?”

“What about the cash?”

Alex looks at the Russian over his shoulder. “That will be dealt with, keep it here for now.” 

“You won’t take it with you?”

“No. Deliver that as planned tomorrow, I’ll take care off the diamonds.”

Mr. Serkoff narrows his eyes, but nods. And Alex is home free.

He keeps his breathing calm as he exits the building, keeps his breath calm as he gets into his car and starts it, keeps his breath calm as he exits the compound. It’s when he encounters Influence holding a bleeding Cowboy that he panics slightly.

“Is he okay?!?”

“He will be,” Influence says as she dumps a groaning Cowboy into the back of the car. “I need you to take us to the Pony, we have a doctor waiting there.”

“You have a doctor that takes care of Super’s?”

“Yes. We also have a healer but he’s out of town. So Dr. Valenti it is.”

He drives them back as quick as he can, calling Maria when he’s 10 minutes out as he always does so she can ring her Alex bell. It’s not until they’re inside the Pony, putting Cowboy on a table in the back room that he realizes what name Isobel said.

“Here, the idiot on the table asked me to give you this,” Influence says as she shoves a piece of paper in his hands. He sees the E on it before the door bursts open.

“What the hell did the idiot do now?”

And Alex watches as his old best friend, the man who sided with his dad and told him Super’s shouldn’t be allowed to roam the streets, walks into the room. He never expected this to be the way he would see Kyle again.


End file.
